According to the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 report, 35% of bank account holders in India did not use their accounts, with Jan Dhan accounts making up a large part of this inactive segment. It was found that 26% of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts in public sector banks were inactive as of September 2025, up from 21% a year earlier.
A statement from the Ministry of Finance in August said that 67% of all Jan Dhan accounts in the country are in rural and semi-urban areas, and 56% are in the name of women.
As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules, a savings account is treated as inactive if there are no transactions for two consecutive years.
Earlier this year, in a one-time move, public sector banks closed around 15 lakh inactive zero-balance Jan Dhan accounts. Now, from November 1, banks are set to raise charges for online services — a move that will affect millions of customers. Transactions made at night will attract higher fees.
The revised charges include Rs 100 for a duplicate passbook, Rs 50 per page for a duplicate passbook with entries, and Rs 200 per cheque for stopping payment of an additional cheque. Some banks will also charge Rs 50 extra per transaction for cash deposited in Cash Recycler Machines between 11 PM and 7 AM. This will apply to all types of accounts. As a result, banking transactions are about to become costlier for ordinary customers.
